IHSAA News Release: February 8, 2012

STATE FINALS PREVIEW: LOCKE, MATTINGLY CHASE MORE SWIMMING TITLESCarmel Girls Looking for 26th Consecutive Team Title
Eight participants who struck gold last year, including two that captured individual titles, return this weekend for the 38th Annual IHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving State Finals.

Preliminary swimming heats will begin Friday at 6 pm ET / 5 pm CT at the Indiana University Natatorium with the top 16 in each event returning Saturday for the championship and consolation finals scheduled for 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT. The state diving competition begins Saturday at 9 am ET.

Not to be forgotten of course is Carmel’s continuous run of team titles. Should the Greyhounds claim a 26th consecutive championship on Saturday afternoon, they would tie for the nation’s third-longest string of state championships in any sport. The mark continues to be the longest active streak in the country regardless of sport or gender.

Carmel junior Lacey Locke and Zionsville senior Zoe Mattingly both return to defend their first place finishes of a year ago.

Locke won the 200 individual medley last year in 2:00.71 and will begin Friday as the third seed in the event after a sectional time of 2:03.97. She also was part of two of Carmel’s three winning relays last year and won the 100 backstroke though she will not compete in this year’s race. Locke has won seven blue ribbon medals through her first two years of high school. With the potential of three more this weekend, she would move into the top five of the most-decorated girls swimmers in IHSAA history.

Mattingly won last year’s 100 freestyle in 50.58 and will swim Friday night as the second seed after a 51.06 effort in the sectional. She’ll have to deal with Clara Baggett of Mt. Vernon after the freshman enjoyed a terrific sectional earning the state’s top seed in the 100 free (50.75) and the 50 free (23.25).

Two others who have stood on the top platform in previous years include Center Grove’s Emma Schoettmer and Chesterton’s Olivia Kabacinski, both seniors.

Schoettmer, the third seed in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.73), finished as the runner-up last year after winning the event in 2010 while Kabacinski won the 200 freestyle two years ago but has not entered the event since. Kabacinski was the runner-up in the 100 free last year and had the sixth fastest time (51.69) in the state last weekend. She’s the second seed in the 50 (23.64) behind Baggett.

In addition to Baggett, two other freshmen enter the weekend as the top seed in their respective events.

Breanna Robinson of Wawasee topped the 200 freestyle charts with a 1:50.33 and Crown Point’s Aly Tetzloff took honors in the 100 backstroke in 56.05.

Results will be posted throughout both days to www.ihsaa.org. Saturday’s championship and consolation finals will be streamed live at www.ihsaatv.org beginning at 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT. Mark Jaynes, Tony Young and Jake Query will host all the action.

Advancement
The top 16 in each swimming event during Friday’s prelims will return for competition on Saturday with the top eight individuals vying for state championship honors. Those finishing nine through 16 on Friday will make up the competitors in the consolation heats. All diving will take place on Saturday with the top 21 of 32 competitors advancing from the prelims to the semis after five dives each. After three dives each in the semis, the top 16 will advance to the final round for another three dives each.Webcast: Saturday’s championship and consolation events will be streamed live at www.ihsaatv.org beginning at 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT.

Other Former State Champions in Field (Individual Events)
Emma Schoettmer, 12 Center Grove won the 100 breaststroke in 2010.
Olivia Kabacinski, 12, Chesterton won the 200 freestyle in 2010 but is not entered in the event.

Media Hosts: IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille and Communications Director Chris Kaufman will be on hand to assist in your coverage of the state meet.

Media Credentials:Deadline is Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, 4 pm ET. The 2011-12 IHSAA State Finals Media Credential issued previously this fall is good for admission. For those outlets without credentials and planning to cover the girls swimming and diving state finals, please apply by e-mailing your request (with name of individual applying) to IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille | jwille@ihsaa.org. E-mail requests MUST originate from a recognized business account; e-mails from personal accounts (ie: yahoo.com, aol.com, etc.) will not be accepted. Approved requests may be claimed at the media will call table at the concourse level of the IU Natatorium. Please have proper identification available.

Media Work Area: Working space will be available to writers and photographers in the west bleachers of the Natatorium. Results from each event will be distributed and also posted to the IHSAA website as the meet progresses both days. Writers and photographers also will have access to the pool deck.

Off Limits: For safety and liability reasons, members of the media are not permitted on the moveable bulkheads that separate the pools or on any of the diving platforms. Also, due to congestion in the immediate area of the starting blocks with timers and judges, we ask that writers and photographers steer clear of that area as well. Editors and sports directors -- please share this information with those who are covering the event and might not necessarily have access to this release. Thank you for your cooperation.

Results: Results will be posted to the IHSAA website at ihsaa.org shortly after each event both days. Heat sheets for Saturday will be posted following completion of Friday’s events and complete results for both days will be available at the conclusion of Saturday’s festivities.

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STATE WRESTLING BERTHS ON THE LINE SATURDAY
The 74th Annual Individual Wrestling State Tournament reaches the semi-state level this Saturday, Feb. 11, at four sites. The top four finishers in each weight class will earn a spot in the state championship brackets that run Feb. 17-18 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Results from Saturday’s semi-states will be posted at ihsaa.org as they become available from the host sites while state finals brackets will be available Sunday afternoon.

Individual Semi-StatesDate: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012.Admission: $6 (Final session only); $10 (Season ticket). Advancement: The top four place winners in each weight class advance to the state finals.

Individual State FinalsSite: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis | WebsiteDates & Times
Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, 6 pm ET / 5 pm CT (First Round).
Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, (Quarterfinals at 9:30 am ET with semifinals to follow; Consolations at 5 pm ET; Finals at 7:30 pm ET).Admission: $8 per session or $20 both days.Webcast: Saturday night’s state championship matches will be streamed live at www.ihsaatv.org beginning at 7:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm CT. Media Credentials:Deadline is Thursday, Feb. 16, at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT. Please note that the 2011-12 IHSAA State Finals Media Credential issued previously this year will NOT allow admission to this event as a specific credential is required – no exceptions. Legitimate working news media should apply for credentials by e-mailing (with name of individual applying) IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille at jwille@ihsaa.org. E-mail requests MUST originate from a recognized business account; e-mails from personal accounts (ie: gmail.com, yahoo.com, aol.com, etc.) will not be accepted. Approved requests will be left to claim by the individual at media will-call at Bankers Life Fieldhouse beginning at 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT on Friday. Identification is necessary to pick up credentials.

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STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
The following lists of statistical leaders are compiled by VarVee.com, the IHSAA’s official statistics gathering partner. The IHSAA encourages each of its member schools to participate by registering at www.varvee.com and updating statistics by each Monday through the end of the season.

NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE STATEThe following items were submitted to the IHSAA. Have an interesting note? A conference or school record, coaching milestone or something else of interest? Please e-mail IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille at jwille@ihsaa.org.

Brad Acton, girls basketball coach at Tri-West Hendricks High School got his 250th combined coaching victory against South Putnam on Jan. 24. He has 129 wins as girls coach at Tri-West and Benton Central and 121 as boys coach at Eastern Hancock and Crawfordsville.

New Castle boys basketball coach Steve Bennett won his 400th career game on January 27 when the Trojans downed Logansport 58-57. On the very next night he picked up his 250th win at New Castle as the Trojans beat Rushville 55-38. At the time, Bennett’s record at New Castle was 250-83 in his 15th season and his overall record was 401-123 in his 22nd season.

In a 68-55 victory at Zionsville on Jan. 27, Avon senior forward Austin Burgett joined the school’s 1,000 points club. The Notre Dame commit also has been nominated to play in the McDonald’s All-American game. From the field of nominees, 24 players will be chosen to compete in the 2012 McDonald’s All American games in Chicago.

During Tipton’s sectional win over Taylor last night, three different players reached significant milestones. Tipton senior Brooklyn Juday finished with 18 points to become the school’s career scoring leader with 1,134 points surpassing Judy Walrath’s 2003 mark of 1,123. Classmate Taylor Degenkolb scored her 1,000th career point in the same game finishing the night with 18 points, giving her 1,012 for her career. Degenkolb and Juday are the first set of Tipton teammates (boys or girls) to reach 1,000 career points in the same season. Also of note, Taylor senior Mone'y Black surpassed the 1,000 point mark for her career. Her basket with 5:45 remaining in the game gave her 18 points and 1,001 for her career.

On Feb. 4, Western senior Nicole Rogers became the school’s career scoring leader during the Lady Panthers 74-29 victory over Lewis Cass. Rogers, an IUPUI recruit, scored 27 points in the game and stood at 1,467 career points going into the Class 3A West Lafayette Sectional.

The New Castle athletic department announced its Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2012. Roller Rowe, class of 1931, Dwight “Doc” Fraze, athletic trainer for 39 years and Don Scott a Trojan contributor for over 43 years make up the class of 2012. These individuals will be inducted at the Hall of Fame banquet on February 16th during a formal ceremony. Bios and pictures can be found at NCTrojans.net under the Hall of Fame tab.

Lou Sipe has been named varsity boys track and field coach at Columbus North High School, athletic director Jeff Hester announced Thursday (Feb. 2). Sipe, a physical education teacher at CNHS, has been a track and field assistant the past three seasons. He has worked with boys and girls throwers all three seasons, and he was the boys assistant head coach last season. Sipe succeeds Ernie Clark as the Bull Dogs' boys track and field coach.

After dislocating her knee during a pool deck accident in December, Owen Valley swimmer Whitney Terrell returned to win the 100 backstroke at the Western Indiana Conference meet prior to the state tournament. Read about the conference meet from Amanda York of the Spencer Evening World.

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About the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA)Founded in 1903, the purpose of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA) is to encourage, regulate and give direction to wholesome amateur interschool athletic competition between its 408 member schools. The Association provides state championship tournament series in 20 sports, 10 for girls and 10 for boys. Approximately 160,000 student athletes participate in IHSAA sports on an annual basis.